Not everyone is bold enough to contact their doctors for a test even though they have COVID-19 symptoms. When you feel ready to take the test, contact your doctor immediately and directly, as the virus has life-threatening symptoms, especially in individuals with underlying conditions. Your Ham Lake testing center offers patients various COVID-19 laboratory tests, including antigen, antibody, and PCR. If you suspect yourself to be infected because of the virus symptoms you are experiencing, contact the experts and discuss your situation. Doing so will help you find out how to prepare for your appointment before taking the test.
How will COVID-19 laboratory tests determine if you have the virus?
There are three central lab tests your doctor could use to determine if you currently have the virus, or if you were previously infected and your body’s immune system has produced the virus’s antibodies. The tests are:
- Antigen tests check for the virus’s particular proteins.
- PCR tests detect the virus’s genetic material.
- Antibody tests help your doctor know if you were infected in the past and your body has an immune system response to combat the virus.
How does going for testing help curb COVID-19’s spread?
Thanks to viral diagnostic testing, you will know whether you have been infected with the virus or not. When you test positive, your doctor will know how to offer care. Additionally, he or she will request contact tracing, self-isolation, and quarantine to minimize the spreading rate to other healthy individuals.
However, none of the COVID-19 tests are 100% certain. It is possible you could test negative when you have the infection, or the tests could come back positive when you do not have the virus. Therefore, you must continue to observe COVID-19 guidelines.
What other extra testing services do the experts at GatherWell Rapid COVID Testing offer?
The facility’s professional health care providers offer their vast patient population efficient and convenient same-day laboratory services with immediate results. To make the tests accessible to the larger community, GatherWell experts provide additional services listed as follows:
Drive-through testing. This service is your best option if you have a busy schedule and can only afford a few minutes for an appointment. Your doctor will request that you arrive early to your appointment to get swabbed. You will then wait for approximately 15 minutes after your swab for the caregiver to process the results.
On-site testing. Thanks to the experts’ mobile lab, the staff will ensure they meet your on-site testing requirements. Whether you have a large or small number of employees, the GatherWell professionals will come to your chosen location to perform testing.
Group testing. This is also known as pooled testing and consists of the doctor testing a larger group of individuals with the same test. Group testing saves on time and the number of tests being administered. When group test results come out negative, all involved are considered safe. When the group results are positive, however, the doctor will call in every group member to complete individual testing to rule out the positive cases.
Completing COVID-19 testing will be beneficial to you and your loved ones, as you will know how to better care for yourself and protect your loved ones from the virus. For more on COVID-19 testing, contact the experts today or schedule an appointment for more information.